paul hepting



(No Model.)

J. A. P. HEPTING.

BLOCK TAGKLE FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 432,044. Patented July 15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOHN A. PAUL I'IEPTING, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWOTHIRDS TO ALDUS F. HAWVTIIORN AND EZRA F. LANDIS, BOTH OF SAME PLACE. I

BLOCK-TACKLE FIRE-ESCAPE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 432,044, dated July 15, 1890..

Application filed March 26, 1890- Serial No. 345,366. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. PAUL HEPTING, acitizen of the United States,residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements inFire-Escapes by Means of a Block-Tackle without Pulleys; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,

IO such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in a block-tackle without pulleys,consisting of two blocks provided with orifices, in combination with aropelaced in a peculiar manner through certain of said orifices, and oneblock being fixed in a higher plane and the other block allowed-to movealong said rope to a lower plane.

The object of my invention is to provide means by which an individualmay safely lower himself 011 the outside from the upper stories of aburning building when other means of escape are cut off.

2 5 I accomplish the purpose of my invention by the devices illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of mydevice, showing the blocks and peculiar lacing of therope 0 in positionas they appearbefore a descent is made, with attaching and supportingropes, respectively, at the upper and lower ends; Fig. 2, a View of thereverse side of Fig. 1

'with portions of the attaching and support- 3 5 ing ropes cut away;Fig. 3, a view of the device inverted as it appears in Fig. 1, theattaching and supporting ropes in interchanged places, with part of thesupporting-rope removed and the attaching-rope provided with Q 40 ahook; and Fig. 4, a View from the right of Fig. 3, the blocks somewhatfarther separated and portions of the attaching and supporting ropesremoved.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through- 5 out the several views.

My device consists of two blocks A and B, a connecting-rope C, anattaching-rope D, and a supporting-rope E. The blocks may be made of anysuitable material having the requisite strength and of any size andthickness, and the ropes of any fibrous substance having sufiicientflexibility.

The block A is triangular in form, having through it in the anglesorifices a, a, and o rounded and recessed to allow easy motionto theropes acting through them.

The block B is hexangular in form, having through it in the anglesorifices b, b, bib b and b, rounded and recessed to allow easy motion tothe ropes acting through them.

The connecting-rope 0 must have sufficient length when doubled to extendover twice the height from which it is desired to descend, and thelacing is as follows: The rope is passed through the orifice b of theblock B and doubled, forming two parts 0 and 6. Following the course ofthe part c it extends forward and up in front of the block A to theorifice a through said orifice rearward and down in the rear of theblock B to the orifice b through said orifice forward and diagonallydown to the orifice b and through said orifice rearward and down to theground, where the remainder of its length may rest. Following the courseof the part c, it extends rearward and up in the rear of the block A tothe orifice a, through said orifice forward and down in the rear of theblock B to the orifice Z), through said orifice forward and diagonallydown over the part c to the orifice b and through said orifice rearwardand down to the ground, where the remainder of its length may rest,Figs. 1 and 2. From an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4 it will be observedthat the lacing is precisely the same; but the orifices b and I) beinguppermost the rope C will be doubled downward, and the parts 0 and c ofthe rope U will extend from the upper end of the tackle down to theground, as before.

Through the orifice a in the upper angle of the block A is looped an endof the attaching-rope D, provided at the other end with an elongatedloop cl, which may be passed over a bed-post, door-knob, or hook in theroom, or a beam may be passed through and rest against the window-framefrom which it is desired to use the tackle.

Through the orifice if in the lower angle of the block B is looped anend of the supporting-rope E, provided at the other end with a strap 6,having a buckle at one end and eyelets at the other, which strap may befastened around the body under the arm pits, so that the rope E will beon the back when it is desired to use the tackle.

In Figs. 3 and 4- an end of -the attachingrope I) is shown loopedthrough the orifice b in an angle of the block B, which in these Viewsis placed uppermost, becoming the stationary block; but the rope D isprovided at its other end with a hook d for attaching within the roomfrom which it is desired to make the escape, and the supporting-rope E,

before described, is shown as attached th rough the orifice a in anangle of the block A,which in these views is placed undermost, becomingthe moving block, while in the device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,Ais the stationary and B the moving block. In either case the method ofdescent is the same, for the individual desiring to lower himself,having buckled the strap 6 around his body, as before mentioned, takingthe portions 0 and a one in each hand of the rope C and passing out ofthe window or other opening will be suspended, then,let ting theportions 0 and c of the rope C slip through the hands, his weight willin the first instance cause the block B and in the second case the blockA to descend, the rope slipping through the several orifices in therespective blocks, thus letting himself down safely to the ground. Ofcourse he can regulate the speed of the descent by means of his handsgrasping the portions 0 and c of the rope O, and after having descendedto the 4 ground by the device as applied in Figs. 3 and 4 the block Amay be readily hoisted again to the position indicated in Fig. 8, when asecond individual may let himself down as did the first.

It will be observed that a seat, basket, or other device maybe attachedto the supporting-rope E in place of the strap 2, having the buckle andeyelets.

Having nowdescribed my invention, what I do consider new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a block-tackle without pulleys, whereby an individual may lowerhimself from ahigher to a lower plane, the triangular block A, having inthe angles the orifices a, a, and a and through the orifice a theattaching-rope D, and the hexangular block B, having in the angles theorifices Z), 1), b 1), b and b and through the orifice b thesupporting-rope E, in combination with the connecting-rope C, doubledthrough the orifice 17, forming two portions 0 and c, laced, the portion0 forward and up in front of the block A to the orifice (6 through saidorifice rearward and down in the rear of the block B to the orifice bthrough said orifice forward and diagonally I down to the orifice b andthrough said orifice rearward and down the required distance, theportion 0' rearward and up in the rear of the block A to the orificea,through said orifice forward and down in the rear of the block B tothe orifice I), through said orifice forward and diagonally down overthe part c to the orifice b", and through said orifice rearward and downthe required distance, substantially as described, and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

